When we last saw South Carolina Congressman Francis Underwood on Netflix 's `` House of Cards , '' he was being offered an appointment to the vice presidency of the United States .

How much trouble can that cause ?

Given what Underwood did in the first season of the show , probably more than anybody anticipates . Do n't expect him to be the glad-handing , funeral-attending type of VP ; Underwood is more likely to be holding a knife or two , the better to stab people in the back -- or , if it 's necessary , in the front .

`` House of Cards , '' which helped establish Netflix as an original programmer -- rather than those folks who send you DVDs in red envelopes -- returns Friday for its second season . Like the first , it will be available for download all at once , which may mean that a lot of Valentine 's Day dinners grow cold while fans binge on watching 13 straight episodes .

As the second season begins , Kevin Spacey 's Underwood reveals that the vice presidency wo n't change his cold , pragmatic cardiac muscle .

`` One heartbeat away from the presidency and not a single vote cast in my name , '' he says at his swearing-in . `` Democracy is so overrated . ''

` He believes ideology is a form of weakness '

It 's a long way from the beginning of the first season , when Underwood was denied his desired job as secretary of state . But in a long-running game of `` do n't get mad , get even , '' Underwood -- with help from Doug Stamper , his subtly brutal chief of staff -LRB- Michael Kelly -RRB- ; Claire , his devoted and equally conniving lobbyist wife -LRB- Robin Wright -RRB- ; and Zoe Barnes , a pliable , ambitious reporter -LRB- Kate Mara -RRB- -- managed to knock down his obstacles and maneuver his way up the Washington food chain .

If a few bodies were left in his wake -- figuratively and , in one case , literally -- well , the ends justify the means . As Underwood noted in the very first episode as he put a wounded dog out of its misery , `` I have no patience for useless things . ''

But that 's not to say that Underwood does n't also want to make the system work . In an interview last fall with CNN , showrunner Beau Willimon explained that Underwood , at heart , is `` an optimist , '' though he understands the darker view .

` House of Cards ' creator Willimon plays a solid hand

`` Where I think people mistake his optimism for cynicism is that he 's unapologetically self-interested . He believes ideology is a form of weakness -- a form of cowardice , '' Willimon said . The writer and producer observes that one of the character 's models is Lyndon Johnson , known for his shrewd knowledge of the legislative process both as a senator and as president .

Willimon added that `` House of Cards '' is n't necessarily a show about politics , despite its Washington setting . It 's a show about power -- in all its manifestations .

`` That power is displayed in our love lives , or our work environments , the way we comport ourselves when randomness brushes up against us , '' he says . And , he adds , power can be more useful than money : `` Power has no limits if you 're willing to go far enough in order to get as much of it as you can . ''

` Mr. Macbeth Goes to Washington ' ?

Naturally , Willimon and his stars have been tight-lipped about how far Underwood will take things in a show The Kansas City Star nicknamed `` Mr. Macbeth Goes to Washington . '' Trailers and tidbits , however , offer some tantalizing hints .

There 's a suggestion that Underwood could be implicated in a murder investigation . Perhaps Barnes might be locating her ethics . A New York Times Magazine profile of Willimon mentioned a `` super-duper-double-major spoiler . ''

And Underwood appears headed for a showdown with wealthy industrialist -- and fellow power broker -- Raymond Tusk -LRB- Gerald McRaney -RRB- , a friend of the president .

Just as intriguing is the future of Underwood 's wife , Claire . In the first season 's early episodes , she seemed more troubled by unethical behavior than her husband ; after all , she was a lobbyist for environmental issues . But that changed as she found her own livelihood threatened .

In this , she is much like her husband , said Wright .

`` She is a pragmatist in the art of war , '' the actress told The New York Times .

However the second season concludes , `` House of Cards '' has already been a winner . Netflix spent $ 100 million to produce the show 's first two seasons . In return , the show was nominated for eight Emmy awards last fall , winning three , and Netflix 's subscriber base and stock price have both hit new highs . The service has quickly become a major player for original programming , with last summer 's `` Orange Is the New Black '' also earning raves .

The company recently renewed `` House of Cards '' for a third season .

In the meantime , one can only wonder whether a better Shakespearean parallel for Underwood is `` Othello 's '' Iago , dropping poisoned hints in the president 's ear . All Willimon will promise is the show will hold on to its darkness .

`` There are people who do n't like the level of darkness , who find the characters unsympathetic , '' he told the Times Magazine . `` And we need to own that . ''

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`` House of Cards '' returns for second season on Friday

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Show stars Kevin Spacey as conniving congressman -- now one step from White House

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Show is less about Washington politics than about power , says creator